Early Invention Is The Key To Success

Finally!! Those who can assist parents in helping their children recently diagnosed with autism have realized that early intervention is the key to success. I have struggled with spreading this concept from the time Jacob was diagnosed. As a pediatric nurse and a mother, I knew that Jacob was special very early on. This was 1998 and Autism wasn't even a word anyone knew about. I took Jacob to a specialist who diagnosed him with Autism.

Immediately, I went into "mom" mode. I started researching everything I could possibly find on the internet. There was not much information out there then and what was available was horrific. Long story short  - children with this disorder "needed to be put into homes because they would never amount to anything".  Well, that just infuriated me. I would be damned if anyone told me my son could not be absolutely anything he wanted and he could succeed and meet whatever goals he made for himself.

As his mother, a nurse, an advocate; I have worked raising awareness for not only Autism Awareness but more importantly to me, Autism Acceptance. I have a great example of what ACCEPTANCE should be the main priority for those with Autism. I have a small green puzzle piece tattoo on my right hand. Now, mind you, I have many other tattoos but all of them can be covered with clothes if need be EXCEPT my puzzle piece. This was a strategic move on my part. When I  first meet someone, I firmly shake their hand with my right hand. Since getting this tattoo, nine out of ten people will ask me what is means. AAAHHHAAA!!! Gotcha!! The door is opened for me to spread autism acceptance and the miraculous human being that is my son.

Would You Join Our Autism Project?

Jacob and I have been working on a project for Autism Awareness Month. We've made a plan to distribute different types of information in different media forms to raise awareness about Autism. We've been working together on this project which is very exciting for me. I love spending as much time with Jacob as possible.

Some things are assigned to Jacob and some are assigned to me. Other types of information are going to be completed with both of us working collaboratively. When it's all said and done we will have a lot of information for people who have the pleasure of having someone with Autism in their life.

The people we're trying to reach are parents who have just recently found out their child has autism. These parents may be scared, concerned, angry and going through a lot of emotions at the same time. I can remember that day as if it were yesterday even though it was over 16 years ago.

We want to help alleviate some of the stress that parents have especially when there are siblings involved. This can make the whole situation even more worrisome on many levels. Our main purpose is to provide these parents with current credible medical and behavioral information as well as advice, news and stories about others who are in or who have been in a similar situation. However, most importantly we want to give them help. We want them to learn about the autism spectrum and diagnosis itself through objective information as well as Jacob and my personal opinions and experiences.

Staying Optimistic - Day Four - Mendability

 These are pictures I took on Jacob's birthday in December coming home from dinner. I had taken each picture but it was not meant for them to come out like this. We were just having a good time playing with my new phone. I just happened on them the other day and was feeling so down about Jacob's resistance. I cannot tell if it is his Autism or if it is just "the teen years". Either way, we are not giving up! I am giving him to  process. Every child needs that even though without disabilities. I have never forced Jacob to do any therapy that made his symptoms worse or that he adamantly refused to do but he seems to want to participate. He is feeling really awkward just finishing his first year in high school. That is overwhelming in itself for all kids. I remember 9th grade and it was the pits.

Are They Different....Really?

“Asperger’s syndrome has probably been an important and valuable characteristic of our species throughout evolution.” Tony Attwood.

The term "teenager" can scare any parent.  Imagine if your teenager also had a disability.  People think children on the Autism Spectrum Disorder are different, yet in reality, they are more alike than you can imagine.  Although children with Asperger's children suffer social skills deficits and struggle with sexuality and relationships with the opposite sex, they have similar feelings dealing with parents' divorcing and bullying issues. 

Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disorder that can cause repetitive rituals, obsessions, oddities of speech, such as talking in a monotone, shouting voice or taking figures of speech literally. Teens with Asperger's may have eccentric behavior and inappropriate facial expressions, trouble connecting with peers, and clumsy movements.  Autism affects about one in 5,000 Americans and is associated with normal intelligence for some on the higher end of the spectrum.  Boys are three to four times more likely to have Asperger's than girls.  The teenager with Asperger's lack social skills that affect their behaviors.

They tend to have a high interest in one particular area, such as video games, history, or dinosaurs that they talk about constantly appearing manipulative.  These teens will either avoid eye contact or stare at people, making them feel uncomfortable. They wear what is comfortable instead of style.  They cannot pick up on social cues, lacking the innate ability to read body language, engaging in conversation and turn taking.

Chapter 1 - An Aspie Teen's Survival Guide

I think when I hear the word syndrome is a condition that has affected the person in some way. It doesn’t mean it’s bad in any way. I agree with the statement in the book saying Asperger’s is a disorder that affects normal-looking people and they great at certain things but incapable of doing other things. 

They are challenged by social interactions, nonverbal and sometimes verbal aspects of communication. I have developed more than my fair share of close relationships outside of my family. However, it’s not a lot considering.  Ever since when I was old enough to come to my IEP meetings, my mom has wanted me to learn about my disabilities and learn about them. 

I kinda knew I wasn’t normal. I was socially awkward around people my age and I never had any long lasting friends except a few. However, I always got along with adults more than usual. I thought it wasn’t a burden I knew I could improve my position. My mom used to be a nurse when she was younger and when I was born, she knew I was not acting normally at the age I was at. She got me diagnosed with Asperger’s when I was very young. I don’t remember the exact my age though. 

And it is true that there is no cure for Asperger’s and they don’t know what the actual cause is. However, they believe that it’s hereditary so it’s false that it’s caused by immunization shots. There has not been any case of immunization shots causing Aspergers. I also agree with the author to not tell to tell your child they have AS when they younger. I would tell them when they are older so they can understand better. They might be disturbed, relieved, or burdened by the information.  

It will depend on how they feel about AS and how it affected them before then. It was a relief of sorts to me because I knew after I was not alone in my struggle and that I could get help. It was one of the best moments. Now those are my thoughts on the first chapter of The Aspie Teens Survival Guide. I hope you enjoyed the post and I hope to see talk more about Asperger’s and my life in general. 

Have a good day and good life. 

Signing off, 

Phoenix

Autism Linked To Genetics – Who Would Have Thought?

I do not mean to sound cynical or sarcastic in my title (Ok, maybe just a little) but I am so happy about the two significant completed have located over 60 genes that increase the chances of aa child being born with Autism by 90%. I have always known that about my son. Jacob was born with Autism. I never thought he "caught" it from getting vaccinations nor anything in our environment. Like many other syndromes, Autism is in the genes.

I knew from the time Jacob was three months old that he was different. I worked as a pediatric nurse and saw over 150 children a day so it was not difficult for me to notice that my child was not meeting his milestones. That was over 17 years ago and Autism was a term only known by the best specialist doctors in the world. Back then, you sure were not going to have your general doctor realize the diagnosis quickly.

At three  months old, all Jacob wanted to do was sit in his bouncy seat with his blanket and a stuffed lion while watching Toy Story on VHS over and over ALL day long. If I tried to interrupt, this time, he would wail the most awful cry I have ever heard. He was mesmerized by the movie and "saw" nothing else around him.

Now, with two separate studies on over 17,000 DNA samples, researchers have finally found enough to concretely state that Autism is, in fact, a genetic disorder. What makes these studies so unique is that the facts show that the mutations are not present in the blood or brain of the parents but occur during the fertilization of the egg. Instead, the mutations show up in the nerve-cell communication or proteins that are connected to inherited disabilities.

Up until now, Autism has been hard to treat, partly, because of the range of symptoms on the scale but also because the cause of Autism is not fully understood. These studies bring great hope in helping doctors and researchers figure out treatment options that can be tailored to each child.

This, in my opinion, is the most significant find. The spectrum is so huge that I feared that days like today would not happen in my lifetime. I could not be happier about these findings as they back up what I have, for over 15 years explained to family, friends, and even other parents who were still searching for a diagnosis.

Today is a happy day for my family. The closer science and psychology get to finding the cause of Autism, the more the syndrome shows up in the news which means more awareness, advocacy, and treatments.

Regards,

 ~Holley Jacobs